Paddy Twomey trained the winner of the Goffs Million in 2023 and had the first two home in the 2026 edition last Saturday.

Based in Golden near Cashel, Co Tipperary, Twomey is already plotting to win the 2027 running of the valuable Curragh sales race and picked up two of the top lots at Goffs on Thursday. The trainer was acting on behalf of the owners of Trean and Hi Corbett Court, first and second in the Goffs Million last weekend.

On Thursday Twomey gave €120,000 for a Ghaiyyath filly from Kevin Quinn's Ladytown Stables and €95,000 for a filly by Bungle Inthejungle consigned by Rathasker Stud. The Ghaiyyath filly will race for the Red Lily Syndicate, owners of Goffs Million winner Trean. The Bungle Inthejungle filly goes to Corbett Court Racing, owners of Million runner-up Hi Corbett Court.

The Ghaiyyath filly is a half-sister to two winners including last Saturday's Curragh maiden winner Uncle Goalie.

Brian O’Riordan of Red Lily Syndicate, said: "We paid a little bit more for her than we thought we were going to, and now I’m going to have to explain that to the syndicate members. She cost a fair bit more than Trean [€20,000], that’s for sure. I’ll have to do some hustling to find a few more people to get into the syndicate!

“She was Paddy Twomey’s choice. He’s the judge and we just pay the bills. She was very athletic and came highly recommended by the breeder. She has a good family behind her too, so she has some residual value.”

Breeder and vendor Kevin Quinn said: “I’m a small breeder at Junction 10 just down the motorway. We have five broodmares.

"She was a queen of a filly, and never put a foot wrong since she got up here. Everything she’s done since she’s been here was telling me to keep her. Her x-rays were perfect; her scopes were perfect. But what means more to me than anything is where she’s going. Paddy has City Of Memphis (Sioux Nation), who’s on the page, and he loved her down the yard. That it’s going to Brian and the syndicate is the icing on the cake."

Later on Twomey teamed up with owner Declan Corbett to pay €95,000 for the Bungle Inthejungle filly, a half-sister to Oliver Cole's recent listed-placed two-year-old Dandyman Dan.

Still on a high from collecting the €200,000 runner-up prize last weekend at the Curragh, Corbett made sure his latest purchase has been entered for the 2027 Million.

“Paddy we ticked the box, did we?," he asked his trainer.

Twomey replied: “Oh, we ticked the box. Don’t worry about that”.

Corbett then turned to Goffs' Tom Taaffe and said: “You get that half a million ready for me next year, boy!”

Taaffe laughed: "What way do you want the ground? Good to firm, good or maybe soft?”

“Yielding will do!," says Corbett.

Reflecting on last Saturday's events, Corbett said: "It was fantastic. I said at this sale last year, 'Paddy, I want to get the winner of the Goffs Million. I don’t care what it costs, I want the winner of the Goffs Million'.

“We ended up paying €85,000 for Hi Corbett Court. Paddy came to me afterwards and said 'this is the winner of the Goffs Million'. I said 'I’m going to hold you to that'. We almost nicked it at 80/1. I'm not disappointed because before the race we were hoping for seventh, eighth or ninth. We picked the best jockey we thought we could get and that was Siobhan [Rutledge]. I've always admired her. I said, 'if anyone is going to get out in time, Siobhan will do it'.

“It was an amazing day and I'm hoping to do it again next year. I'm after paying €95,000 there for that one. I actually had €150,000 in my pocket for her, so I got her cheap. She was Paddy’s pick. He said 'if you want a winner of the Goffs Million, if you want a runner in Royal Ascot, it has to be Lot 750'. I said 'will we need €100,000 for her?' He said 'you’ll have to go more than that'. I thought about it but I was on the phone there just now and told him we were going to go for it.

“I own the horses with my sister Anna. We both own the Corbett Court restaurants in Kilworth and Charleville. We love racing. My father was into racing.

"You saw Tom Taaffe coming over there slagging me? He used to ride for my father 40 years ago. My father always regretted missing out on Meis El-Reem (Auction Ring), who finished second in the English 1000 Guineas. He was within 1,000gns of buying her here and it always bugged him. Hopefully we can make up for that now."

Another for Ghaiyyath

Just after 5pm, a new top lot emerged when a colt by Ghaiyyath sold for €195,000 to Kentucky horseman Deuce Greathouse. Consigned by Sean and Orla Gannon's Gerrardstown House Stud, the colt is a half-brother to winners in France and Italy.

Earlier in the day Tom Whitehead of Powerstown Stud paid €130,000 for a filly by first-season sire sensation Bayside Boy. The filly was consigned by Adam Morgan (AM Thoroughbreds) who operates out of his family's Greenville House Stud in Kilkenny.

The filly is a full-sister to Ana Morello, who finished second of 13 in a Navan maiden last month for trainer Diego Dias.

Cormac Farrell was on bidding duty and he reported: “Deuce picked him out. He had to go back to see a horse run before heading off. He loved him and I think he's right. He’s a proper nice horse. The vendor deserves to get a good price for him, but I think we were probably all out there."

Faith in Blackbeard

Breeze-up consignor Katie Walsh paid €100,000 for a Blackbeard colt from Ger Hourigan's Whitehall Stud. He is a full-brother to Breath Of Paradise, third in a Curragh maiden in August for Jessica Harrington, having also been bought for €100,000 by Katie Walsh a year ago.

“I bought the full-brother last year for the same money and I liked him," said Walsh. "He is with Jessie Harrington. At the time he was by a first-crop sire, and now Blackbeard is delivering and only on the up and up, so this would look a fair price.

“The colt last year had a great attitude, and this fellow is a big, scopey individual and hopefully he can go on. I think his price made sense. A decision won’t be made on which sale he goes to until later.”

Clare Manning's Boherguy Stud sold a Mehmas filly for €100,000 to Outlaw Bloodstock. Her dam Banduic Eile (by New Approach) didn't win in 10 starts for Jim Bolger but was second in a Group 2.

Thursday's session ended before 6pm with 152 of the 174 yearlings presented sold, a clearance rate of nearly 87%. The average price was just under €30,000 and the median came in at €24,500, both well ahead of Wednesday's final figures.

Overall, the two-day Book 2 sale returned a clearance rate of 87% and turnover of almost €9.8 million, up 14% on last year. The record average of €28,525 was up 13% and the median - also a record - was up 10% at €22,000. A total of nine yearlings made six figure prices, compared with five last year.

"Outperforms expectations"

Goffs CEO Henry Beeby said: "We have always maintained that this is a sale that outperforms expectations and, as with Orby 1, Irish breeders stepped up with their yearlings sending us a superb selection of smart, commercial yearlings.

"They were greeted by a huge buying bench from home and abroad with buyers from 31 countries competing with a strong contingent from the UK and Ireland. What is especially gratifying was the huge numbers of UK trainers and agents who either stayed on from Orby 1 or came specially for Orby 2. We counted at least 50 who made bids as well as a further 20 domestic trainers. Their involvement alongside a massive group of overseas buyers precipitated a truly memorable sale and I want to record our thanks to and appreciation of the work of Irish Thoroughbred Marketing who once again combined with the Goffs Purchaser Attraction Team to ensure that both parts of the Irish National Yearling Sale set new benchmarks and scaled unprecedented heights.

"The last four days have given everyone a huge lift as the positivity from start to finish of both Books has been inspiring. What a great industry when we work together and back each other. As an Irish Auction House, we know we amount to nothing without the support of Irish breeders and never take their wonderful support for granted. Indeed, the mantra “every lot matters a lot” is one that resonates as we value every single entry at any level and then treasure each bid as it is made.

"Goffs exists to serve the Irish industry as we work to attract a global audience to Co Kildare, and we just love it when it comes together as it has done so spectacularly this week."

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